Granola is a great way to start your day or fill in at the 10am, 3pm or 8pm snack hour. Served with fruit in season (optional), dairy milk, almond milk, yogurt or kefir, granola is full of fiber and with this recipe, serves up a heart healthy, protein punch.

I adapted the recipe from the Candle Café Cookbook. Candle Café is one of my husband’s favorite vegan restaurants in NYC. I doubled the vanilla called for in the original recipe and tweaked a few other ingredients. This is a family (and friends) favorite. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Tricks and Tips. Ovens vary, so keep an eye on your granola the first time you make it to gauge the exact cooking time (I like a light caramel color on mine which in my oven takes about 22 minutes). It’s not hard to make but definitely takes some TLC. Rotate your sheet pan and toss well at each interval. Let the granola cool completely before storing. I use a pastry scraper to loosen it from the sheet pan, then store in an air tight container.

Makes 1 lb. of granola, about 6-8 servings

½ cup steel-cut oats

1 cup rolled oats

¼ cup coarsely chopped almonds (skins on for more nutrients)

¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

¼ cup raw sunflower seeds (hulled)

1/3 cup dark (grade B works best) real maple syrup

¼ cup canola oil

2 TBL vanilla extract

1 pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 350

You can line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a pastry scraper (like I do) to loosen the granola after it’s cooled.

Combine steel-cut and rolled oats, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds and salt in a large bowl. Add oil, vanilla and maple syrup and coat well. Spread out on your baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes stirring and rotating the baking sheet every 5 minutes. Remove from the oven when the granola gets to a light caramel color. Let cool. Transfer to an air-tight container or large mason jar. Granola will hold stored this way for up to 1 month…but will be eaten long before that.